"Judaism is a form of Christianity"

[Butaperson]

That’s a quote from my modern world history teacher last year.
Actually, he mentioned several times that Judaism is a form of Christianity.

He was a great teacher, knew a lot about modern world history, but extremely liberal and kinda anti-religion. I got the feeling that he knew a heck of a lot more about the development of weaponry through World War I than he did about the different forms of religion.

Context:
Teacher: “Can anyone name the 4 largest religions in the world?”
Student: “Christianity”
T: “Correct”
S: “Judaism”
T: “No, Judaism is a form of Christianity”

And the same idea a couple times more throughout the year

Can someone please explain what he meant by that? I know that they are closely interlinked, but…isn’t kinda the point of Judaism that it follows the Old Testament before the teachings of Christ? The Jews were who He taught, and those who followed Him became Christians…right? I’ll admit I don’t know as much as I should about Judaism…sigh. Any help?

Like I said, he knew an awful lot about history, and religion is SUCH a huge part of history, I know he must have had some reason for saying that.

 

[Kaninchen]

No, we are not Christians.

Christianity isn’t Judaism plus Jesus and Judaism isn’t Christianity minus Jesus. The two religions have entirely different beliefs and foci.

 

[Nine_Two]

One could make the inverse argument that Christianity is a form of Judaism - though even that would be difficult. But Judaism certainly isn’t “Christian” in any way.

Although this doesn’t particularly matter for your professors question as Judaism isn’t one of the worlds largest religions.

 

[Butaperson]

No, we are not Christians.

Christianity isn’t Judaism plus Jesus and Judaism isn’t Christianity minus Jesus. The two religions have entirely different beliefs and foci.

No, I didn’t mean that. When one follows Christ, the religion changes completely as you said, because He rewrote the law of Moses.
So…yeah, what you wrote was pretty much just what I was thinking

 

[Butaperson]

One could make the inverse argument that Christianity is a form of Judaism - though even that would be difficult. But Judaism certainly isn’t “Christian” in any way.

Although this doesn’t particularly matter for your professors question as Judaism isn’t one of the worlds largest religions.

If I remember correctly I believe they were Christianity, Islam, Hindu, and…Buddhism? Depends on whether or not you interpret Buddhism as a religion I guess. I’ve met some who don’t. Hmmm.

 

[Rhubarb]

He might have been meaning to lump the two together, as in “Judeo-Christian tradition”, but otherwise I’m stumped.

 

[tawny]

Christianity is the off shoot of Judaism established by the New Covenent. Remember Joseph, Mary and Jesus were Jews.

 

[GaryTaylor]

Probably the closest example I can think of is Edith Stein. Stein`s baptism as a Christian meant a break with her Jewish heritage, However she was quoted as saying: I had given up my practice of the Jewish religion as a girl of 14. My return to God made me feel Jewish again.

 

[cjforJesus]

I think they are two very separate religious beliefs,yet I have heard people state that Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism.

 

[lutheran_farmer]

I think your teacher doesn’t understand that the term “Judeo-Christian”, which was probably in vogue when he was in college, does not link the two religions into one. It simply denotes a common morality base (the Ten Commandments).

He could use a comparative religion course, in my opinion. However, since he is your teacher and thus, deserves a level of respect, just take his shortcomings gracefully and avoid challenging him in class. You should probably speak to him in private about it, though. Perhaps he will then clarify for the class. Do mention your religious background so he knows that he may have inadvertently offended, not just you, but other religious students in his class.

 

[classical_hero]

Christianity is Judaism fulfilled. Jews are still waiting for the coming Messiah, but we say that Jesus fulfilled the claims of being Messiah and thus he is the Messiah, the one prophesied by the Old Testament(Jewish Scriptures). The New Testament doesn’t make any sense without the Old Testament. Jesus didn’t abolish the law, he fulfilled it Don’t forget we are called Christians because the first disciples in Antioch lived a life so much like the one they had called Christ, or Messiah in Hebrew.

 

[Tarpeian_Rock]

One could make the inverse argument that Christianity is a form of Judaism - though even that would be difficult. But Judaism certainly isn’t “Christian” in any way.

Although this doesn’t particularly matter for your professors question as Judaism isn’t one of the worlds largest religions.

Pretty much this. By page count, about 2/3rds of the Christian Scriptures consist of the Hebrew Scriptures – hard to say the two traditions are totally separate. Numerous Christian traditions and rituals have their roots in Jewish practice.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

That’s a quote from my modern world history teacher last year.
Actually, he mentioned several times that Judaism is a form of Christianity.

He was a great teacher, knew a lot about modern world history, but extremely liberal and kinda anti-religion. I got the feeling that he knew a heck of a lot more about the development of weaponry through World War I than he did about the different forms of religion.

Context:
Teacher: “Can anyone name the 4 largest religions in the world?”
Student: “Christianity”
T: “Correct”
S: “Judaism”
T: “No, Judaism is a form of Christianity”

And the same idea a couple times more throughout the year

Can someone please explain what he meant by that? I know that they are closely interlinked, but…isn’t kinda the point of Judaism that it follows the Old Testament before the teachings of Christ? The Jews were who He taught, and those who followed Him became Christians…right? I’ll admit I don’t know as much as I should about Judaism…sigh. Any help?

Like I said, he knew an awful lot about history, and religion is SUCH a huge part of history, I know he must have had some reason for saying that.

I would reverse that, “**Christianity **is a form of Judaism”, “Judaism 2.0” if you will.

Early Christianity (talking Apostolic times here), was still in a kinda blurry spot, but
then came the Bar Kokhba Revolt, which Christians did not want a part in because
Christians already had their Messiah. It was after that actually that Judaism really
broke off from the Jewish-Christianity blur spot, thus did Jews and Christians offic-
ially go their separate ways.

 

[Nine_Two]

If I remember correctly I believe they were Christianity, Islam, Hindu, and…Buddhism? Depends on whether or not you interpret Buddhism as a religion I guess. I’ve met some who don’t. Hmmm.

That sounds right. Although if you consider Christianity and Judaism one religion you should probably be considering Buddhism and Hinduism one religion.

 

[Espero]

No, we are not Christians.

Christianity isn’t Judaism plus Jesus and Judaism isn’t Christianity minus Jesus. The two religions have entirely different beliefs and foci.

This is 100% correct. Judaism is a religion for a specific people; Christianity is for the world. To say these two faiths are simply one religion is insulting to both.

 

[howirenic]

“Judaism” is not a very helpful term because there are different forms of Judaism. There’s the Temple worship of the ancient Israelites, there’s the rabbinical Judaism that arose from the Pharisees and really took form after the destruction of the second temple (i.e. after Christ’s ministry), and there’s the fairly modern reform Judaism that we see today.

It would be accurate to say that the rabbinical Judaism (other than very small number of Karaites) is the oldest extant form of Judaism today. It would also be accurate to say that it grew alongside Christianity, following the destruction of the Temple (many practices had to be altered in lieu of Temple sacrifice), although it was based on much older traditions that the Pharisees guarded.

It would not be accurate to say that Judaism is a form of Christianity. Christanity emerged from the Judaism of the Pharisees, as did modern-day rabbinical Judaism. Both can trace their roots in the common Temple worship, but neither claim to be a “form” or “off-shoot” of the other.